Keith Yandle has become the NHL’s new “Iron Man” with his 965 consecutive regular-season games played on Tuesday night. The Philadelphia Flyers defenseman broke Doug Jarvis’s all-time record.
Yandle has never missed a game thanks to hard work and dedication to his craft. His streak began on March 26, 2009. And his record is remarkable to do the fact that being a defenseman is the toughest position in hockey. This is because they are on the ice for the majority of the game, making them more susceptible to injury than any other position on the team.
In fact, Keith Yandle was close to losing continuity due to a puck that knocked out nine of his teeth in November 2019. During a game between the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes. In the first period, an errant puck struck Yandle in the mouth and ended up knocking out nine of his teeth.
He headed straight to the dressing room, but his night was not over. Following some quick dental work, the 33-year-old defenceman returned in the third period
“It’s how hockey players are built. You play through as much pain as you can. There have obviously been some times when I have not felt great when it was tough sledding. But you try to battle through it and help out your team,” said Keith Yandle recalling the 2019 accident.
The Record
Yandle has managed to maintain his record despite the aforementioned accidents and the complex situation that world sport is experiencing.
Hundreds of players have missed games due to COVID 19. However, Yandle has not had to undergo COVID protocols that prevent him from playing.
“It hasn’t really sunk in too much yet. It’s something I’m super grateful for, but I’m grateful for playing (even) one game in this league,” said Keith Yandle and added. “To be a part of the NHL and the NHL family for the last 16 years has been more than a dream come true.
“Obviously, anytime you can have a record, as I would imagine, it’s pretty cool,” he said. “But for me, it’s just about being available and being ready to go and play every night.”
Yandle’s time during the streak is at 20,877 minutes. And he has scored 572 points which rank third of any defenseman behind Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns.
Yandle’s streak began in his third NHL season, on March 26, 2009. Currently, he has played in 1,075 games with the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes, New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, and the Flyers, who signed him as a free agent last offseason.
The Record Might Not Last
Coyotes winger Phil Kessel, 34, has played in 941 straight games. Therefore, the slightest slip that Yandle suffers could put his record at risk and lose it.
In addition, the Yandle has a one-year, $900,000 contract with a no-trade clause.It could be the case that the Flyers do not want to retain the player and he has to find a new team as a free agent. If he couldn’t find a team due to his age, the record would be easily within reach of Kessel.
Inspiration and Fighting Spirit
Yandle mentioned that his main inspiration and influence has been his parents. “Definitely my parents had a huge, huge influence on me,” said Yandle, 35. “You know, just seeing hard work, seeing my parents going to work every day. My brother and sister are the same way. You don’t have to look too far for some great influences.”
In addition, he also remembered that in his time as a teenager he already showed his fighting spirit, trying to get past Dan McGoff, a local Boston star who attracted attention from scouts.
“He was probably the best defenseman at the ‘86 year level,” Yandle said, referring to his age group’s birth year. “He was the kind of a guy that I wanted to be as good as or better than, and he set the bar high.”
Not everything is happiness
But not everything is happiness for Yandle and his teammates. On the downside, the Flyers are on a 13-game losing streak, setting a new franchise record.
“I don’t know what the percentages are for guys who have played this many games. But in a row? It’s unbelievable,” said forward Gerry Mayhew, referring to his teammate’s achievement, and added “Kudos to him. It sucks that we couldn’t win, but that’s a great achievement.”
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